1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for controlling a washing/drying system, and more particularly, to apparatus and method for controlling a washing/drying system in which a dryer operates based on washing information performed in a washing machine. Further, the present invention relates to apparatus and method for controlling a washing/drying system in which when a washing machine and a dryer are adjacent to each other and are independently used, operation information used in operating the washing machine is used in operating the dryer, thereby more conveniently and simply manipulating and operating the dryer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A washing machine washes laundry received in a drum using rotation of the drum. The pulsator type washing machine, the agitator type washing machine, the drum type washing machine and the like have been well known to those skilled in the art. A dryer is used to completely remove moisture remaining in laundry that the dewatering cycle is completed, using hot air.
In detail, the dryer blows hot air generated by a heater into the drum to absorb moisture from laundry to be dried. The dryer can be classified into an exhaust type dryer and a condensed type dryer. The exhaust type dryer exhausts wet air discharged from the drum to an outside of the dryer, and the condensed type dryer condenses wet air discharged from the drum at a condenser to remove moisture from the wet air and convert the wet air into dry air and again blows the dry air to the drum to recycle the air.
Meanwhile, the conventional washing and drying cycles are continuously performed in once washing operation. In other words, laundry washed in the washing machine is directly received in the dryer to perform drying. Thus, to continuously perform the washing and the drying, the washing machine and the dryer are disposed adjacent to each other. In addition, information acquired or inputted while the washing machine operates is transmitted to the dyer through wiring communication to allow a user to operate the dryer more conveniently, which is well known to those skilled in the art.
However, the wiring communication causes many inconveniences for a user. For instance, the user has to connect a wiring cable and a separate space for installation of the cable is required. Also, displacement of the washing machine and the dryer is allowable only after the cable is separated, which makes inconvenient users.
Recently, as the inner space is getting narrow and narrow, the washing machine and the dryer are frequently used in stack structure. In such a stack structure, it is general that the washing machine having heavy weight due to use of much amount of water is disposed above the dryer having light weight.
However, when the washing machine and the dryer are used in the stack structure, a user feels inconvenience because the user's hand does not reach a manipulation panel disposed at an upper side of the dryer. Also, it can be considered that the manipulation panel is disposed at a lower portion of the dryer for the convenience of use, which makes convenient the user in the stack structure but makes inconvenient the user in a parallel structure where the washing machine and the dryer are disposed in parallel.